Caitlin Barnes, left, and Kate DeForge, both of Norwalk, coached the Mid Fairfield Connecticut Stars U12-1 girls hockey team to the USA Hockey National Championships, to be held this April in Detroit.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Caitlin Barnes and Kate DeForge got involved with ice hockey more than a decade ago, when the three periods of slap shots, neutral zone traps and faceoffs was almost completely still a men's game.

"The women's hockey world is such a small world," Barnes said.

Now, with hockey more popular than ever for women, the Norwalk duo is coaching up-and-coming female skaters who are making quite a name for themselves on the ice.

Barnes, 26, is the head coach, and DeForge, 25, is an assistant for the Mid Fairfield Connecticut Stars U12-1 girls' hockey team, which is headed to the USA Hockey National Championships in Detroit in early April.

Consisting of players from throughout Fairfield County and even from New York, the Stars won a regional championship to reach the coveted tournament.

"They're so excited. They just love it," Barnes said. "It's been a really rewarding year. I never expected so much to come of this season."

It's been an especially rewarding year for the girls given their age. Although U12 teams generally include 12 year olds, the Stars are composed of mainly 11 year olds.

The team clinched a spot in the national tournament with a dramatic, come-from-behind overtime win over the Connecticut Polar Bears, whom the Stars had lost to a day earlier. Paige Wikman netted the decisive goal in the 4-3 win.

"It really was one of the best games I've ever been a part of," Barnes said. "They won the game because they wanted it. They wanted it so badly and nothing was going to stop them."

And Barnes certainly has been in her share of high-pressured games.

After college, she was recruited and played professionally as a defenseman in Russia for one season--one of three Americans on a team comprised mostly of Russian Olympians.

Barnes and DeForge still lace up their skates for games as teammates on the Team Connecticut Senior A women's team. And Barnes heads to Michigan for the national women's tourney a week before leading the U12 squad against the nation's best.

"Ever since I was little I knew I wanted to coach. I had so much fun growing up, playing hockey," said Barnes, who learned to figure skate when her two brothers Scott and Mike were playing hockey.

She wanted to put on the pads and grab a stick, and finally got permission from her parents at age 10. Her dad, Harold--the treasurer for Mid Fairfield Youth Hockey for two decades--built a rink in the backyard and the siblings all played there or at Tilley Pond in Darien .

DeForge, a goaltender, has always had an interest in the game. "I grew up on Rollerblades and my dad finally convinced my mom to let me play," she said.

Originally from Norwalk, DeForge's family moved to Wallingford when she was in first grade, but has since moved back to Norwalk.

Perhaps some of the Stars' success can be attributed to the coaching duo's familiarity with each other on the ice. DeForge and Barnes played youth hockey in the state, attended the The Gunnery School at the same time and attended the University of Vermont. Barnes played hockey collegiately and DeForge played softball--each on scholarships.

Barnes also teaches private hockey lessons at Stamford Twin Rinks to players ranging in age from seven to 55. She's on the ice about four hours a day almost every day of every week. Coaching inspired her to run an equipment drive for players in need of gear in Harlem, N.Y.

"I really love what I do. I would love to do this for the rest of my life if I wasn't so cold all of the time," Barnes said with a laugh.

The experience with the Stars is one the coaches will never forget. "I very much enjoy coaching these girls and with Caitlin. They are very fun to be around," DeForge said. "My favorite part about coaching is watching the girls progress throughout the season."

"It's a great opportunity to coach with Kate who's one of my best friends. We really complement each other and it makes it fun just to have her there," Barnes added. "If I got to pick one person to coach with it would definitely be her because she's a phenomenal coach and she's great with kids."

Barnes added that it's an honor to coach in the youth program and during lessons alongside some of the coaches who helped her develop her own skills. Among them is Norwalk resident Moe Tarrant, head coach of the U14 team, another who is headed to the national tourney.

While hockey is a big part of their lives, Barnes and DeForge still find time for other interests. Next year, DeForge will be going to graduate school at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. where she will be a graduate assistant for the softball program, so she will not be around hockey as much.

"Hockey will always be in my life as I never see giving up coaching or playing, but I am excited to have my own classroom and positively influence and inspire the lives of children. There is so much opportunity out there, but you can't do anything without an education. I want to make a difference in the lives of others and help guide children to reach their dreams," Barnes said.